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Whether she is a newer rider or not she should know that drugging is NOT acceptable whether the trainer allows it or not. My non-horse friends could tell you that is not all right. Hell when I was a mini-stirruper and my first trainer suggested tranq'ing the pony because she was too wild I, yes little mini stirruper me said: isn't that cheating? And then went on to get bucked off BUT I learned how to RIDE and now I haven't ridden a horse that phases me. If she had been drugged like trainer wanted (we left after that) do you think I would have learned to ride? Or just sit on the horse like all non-equestrians think we do? Like I said she knows what she did was wrong and illegal and she basically states that right in her blog. I have no problems calling them out because I am sick of all the cheaters around here.

*rant over*

"People who think their brains are not worth protecting are probably right!"
- quoted by Martha Drum

And I think she has been called out thanks to this thread, the naieve blogger (my description) and horseshowsonline. I doubt we will get an explanation. I find it very ironic that this thread is right next to the Town Hall Meeting thread that find8 and other people are upset about - you think they are following this one?

{quoting the original blogger} There were 3 rather large puddles, we’d have to go through/around them eventually to get to jumps. Thankfully HORSE didn’t care about them (druggies kicking in)

Oy yoi yoi yoi Santa Maria and Gott im Himmel Help me Rhonda.

Originally Posted by findeight

Going to a show when the horse needs a pop for rider to get it through a puddle is cringe worthy.

Yes.

To paraphrase George Carlin, "Why the f bother going to a show in the first place?" Just ride at home. What is the big deal with going to shows? It's not a requisite for enjoying your horse. I guess the trainer is bringing the pressure for $$$.

Some folks may consider a twentysomething a kid. But there is no excuse for someone her age to claim ignorance that "everything you post on the interwebz is forever," she'd have been taught that since elementary school.

And this from a forty-something cyberphobe whose most recent fb post was literally a picture of some double chocolate Klondike bars.

USEF, USHJA, you pick, they are not doing us justice, the "drug" fee I pay at every show makes me want to laugh, especially when I read stuff like this.....and other things that are only worse.

Yes. I don't believe they will pay attention unless the "hush hush" culture changes and until people keep on pushing the governing bodies of their sport, who are complacent (if not joining right in...).

BBs will prove a powerful tool to this end, as long as people are willing to follow up.

Nice to see family and friends photos etc.. Otherwise WAY too much info and input from so many directions..

Friends and family know my email address and can send the photos there...

Love the "Help me Rhonda" !

findeight, I remember struggling with my pony, who was going down to roll in puddle. It never occurred to me what anyone else thought about it, it was all about how to keep pony from rolling in the puddle, and using everything I had been taught to keep it from happening. Tranq was never hinted at where I was taught.

I did ride relatively "hot" beasts as well during those years, 2 different trainers, and not once did they pull out the needle. I suppose I was lucky..
Ye gads, I must be old and out of it..

ETA Embarrassment while trying to manage horse would have been much more bearable than drugging to "get ahead ".

But after really thinking on this, it's pretty hard not take some pity on this rider. Yes, what she did seems deplorable to the majority of us, and even though she's pegged as a earl 20's adult, she's clearly been fed some pretty pisspoor, misinformed advice in her horsey education. By openly blogging about this, to me, indicates pure ignorance. She's been told and taught this is ok, and as far as I'm concerned this "kid" is merely a product of very very poor instruction and guidance. The trainer is solely responsible for this situation.

So in your world no responsibility on the rider/horse owner, all the trainer's fault?

The rider's apology that is now on her blog sounds less like she did not know this was not the best way to deal with the situation and more like she thought her blog was only followed by her best buddies and they would understand.

Even the blogger admits that she asked for the cocktail. She texted the trainer and asked for the horse to be drugged. The trainer did not search her out and stick her horse with out her input.

I think the fact that she called them "druggies" most disturbs me. I don’t know why......maybe because calling them a cutesy name shows me she thinks drugging is totally ok.

God forbid the horse actually be himself at a show and express himself while he is still learning the ropes too. Seems like it was chilly that day. Maybe they should have arranged for a more experienced rider warm him up for her. Maybe she should have pulled him off the trailer early in the day and worked him instead of letting him sit on the trailer for hours. Or maybe she should have at least walked him around and let him see the sights, hand graze, etc. When I was showing as a kid with my trainer, horses were either tied to the trailer outside eating hay and we stayed with them OR they were attached to our arm walking around, grazing, hanging out. We also walked up hill both ways to the show, in the snow, etc.

Ha ActNatural, same here. If you couldn't ride your horse, either the trainer got on it (that IS what you pay them for...) or you rode through it, OR just schooled and not showed.

Drugging teaches nothing and is a risk to the horse (Humble anyone ?It's been almos a year, have we forgotten?). If the horse is THAT beside itself, back to schooling at home and shows.

I have a young, hot mare. I took her to rinky dink schooling shows to get her used to it. I also let her grow up.

Honesty, I always have drugs with me. Taking babies to shows, I actually had one flip out and come out the person door on the turnpike on the way home. I was glad I had drugs. Then we spent lots MORE time prepping at home and "training". Guess what? Baby is now a young horse that has learned to adapt. Drugging is NOT the solution. It is a bandaid.

Hell when I was a mini-stirruper and my first trainer suggested tranq'ing the pony because she was too wild I, yes little mini stirruper me said: isn't that cheating? And then went on to get bucked off BUT I learned how to RIDE and now I haven't ridden a horse that phases me. If she had been drugged like trainer wanted (we left after that) do you think I would have learned to ride? Or just sit on the horse like all non-equestrians think we do?

While I don't agree at all that kids learn to ride from being tossed and bucked off, ponies and horses shouldn't be drugged at shows.

They should be trained appropriately for the job.

Accident can happen, but Whishfullthinking, you were pretty lucky not to have suffered any major injuries that could have end your riding career pretty early.

I like how the blogger says not to judge bc horse is new to showing and needs "positive experiences." BUt that is exactly what drugging the poor horse will keep him from having, because it stops him from being able to have a capable rider help him work through his understandable nervousness and learn that everything is ok.

I took my horse to his first show at 4. It was cold. There were ponies in coolers that he thought were aliens sent to eat him and tents and loudspeakers and lots and lots of activity. He freaked the F out. I barely got him through the first big warm up ring you have to go though to get to the green bean ring. Then we had to walk though the gauntlet of loudspeakers and alien ponies. Then we had to look at tents.

We did not make it into our first set of classes and ended up just working in the warm up ring until the tension left his body and he stopped feeling like a rocket set for take off. Then he went back, got treats and stood on the trailer munching hay for a few hours. Then we tacked up again and worked in the big warm up ring (much calmer), stood around by the in gate for a while and then went and schooled over jumps (unjudged) in B ring that was done for the day (with organizer's permission).

No drugs were necessary or used to create what turned out to be a very successful and positive experience for him, even though it didn't follow the original plan for the day and we never got judged. Yes, I was the person with the slightly crazy horse that everyone wanted to stay away from, but I also stayed away from everyone else and took pains to make sure that, even when I felt like I was sitting on a loaded missle ready for lauch, I met his nervous craziness with nothing but calm and the occasional firm direction to do as he was told.

Next show, he was a gem and we won our greenie classes. And he's gotten better and calmer every time we go to another show. I feel like the fact that he can experience and remember everything clearly makes that possible and that his learning experience would only be hindered by "druggies."

A copy of the blog was sent to the president of the association. That is probably why

WT711 - Just out of curiosity - how do you know this^^??

Re the rider, if this "kid" is old enough to vote, drive and join the military, its darn scary to me that she seems to think this was ok...........
First horse or not, doesn't matter. Does she go off and smoke a doobie when she's nervous?

We don't get less brave; we get a bigger sense of self-preservation........